


Dancing till dawn, staying forever young.

by acquario



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Except not quite, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-12
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-03-07 08:34:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3168395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acquario/pseuds/acquario
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>high school au. laura meets carmilla when she's a first year, but is ultimately disappointed when carmilla moves away. now laura's moved to another school and she recognises a familiar face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dancing till dawn, staying forever young.

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer things: set in austria, in an european school that really is based on italian school - but i’m pretending it’s an european one. there are five years of school - you start your first year when you’re 14/15 and get out when you’re 18/19. there's more than one class of the same level: there’s i a, i b, i c etc and it’s basically the same class with different teachers. desks have two students, classes have around 25ish students each and rather than moving class yourself, the teachers come into the classroom when it’s their period. no one actually does pe except the people who really like pe. also teenagers are like, really overdramatic.
> 
> title from 'teenage wasteland' by lana del rey.
> 
> also, elsie/betty just kinda happened. i wanted to introduce danny later but well, i didn't.

laura’s heart beats faster than it ever did when she sees her at lunch and she stretches her neck to see her eyes beneath the dark bangs. her meal rests untouched on the blue canteen tray and is this being in love.

 

-

 

she trains herself to recognise the heavy thud of her boots as she walks down the halls, students parting like red sea as she makes her way, unaffected, untouched, unadulterated. laura watches her and pretends she’s not really watching, following the sway of her hips and the way her chin goes up and the gentle bouncing of her curls.

 

«gay.» betty whispers next to her, and she startles, slamming her locker shut.

 

betty laughs really loud through her nose and laura turns around quickly to make sure she hasn’t heard - but she’s already disappeared through the swarm of students.

 

«you’re the actual worst.» she says, resting her head against the cold metal of the locker.

 

«love you too.»

 

-

 

her name is _m i l l a r c a_.

 

she knows this because betty is a third year and iii b and v f share the gym once a week. betty complains constantly about her habit of fucking off to smoke in the bathrooms as soon as the teacher disappears, because betty is asthmatic and the smoking chokes out whatever air is left in her lungs after a hour of volleyball.

 

laura doesn’t care because her eyes look like she could drown in them and she wants to.

 

she’s desperate to know just how deep she can go before being swallowed whole.

 

-

 

her classroom is on the third floor, and millarca’s ( _millarca millarca millarca_ ) is on the first, right next to the vending machines. it’s awfully convenient, and laura starts spending all of her allowance in tea-less teas that taste more like hot water and slightly damaged oreos, walking in front of her classroom’s door up to fifteen times per break («you’re ridiculous», betty says as she copies her maths homework from elsie’s copybook and laura rolls her eyes, because what’s really ridiculous is copying from _elsie_ of all people).

 

-

 

it’s not until the teacher coughs that she realises she’s right in front of the door, unmoving, and she laughs nervously, allowing the woman in her salmon dress to pass.

 

millarca, sitting on her chair sideways, back to the wall and booths lazily resting on the chair next to hers, glances up from her book, one perfect eyebrow arched.

 

laura freezes on the spot.

 

millarca winks and smiles the hint of a smile.

 

laura can’t focus for the rest of the day.

 

-

 

she tries not to be overly worried  when millarca misses school for a week (it’s probably just a cold or a family emergency and why is she worrying for a perfect stranger anyway) until betty texts her that elsie told her that her aunt, who’s the principal’s third cousin twice removed, told her that millarca moved school. she doesn’t really know what’s worst - the gut deep disappointment for all that could have been or the aching regret that fills her lungs.

 

she spends the day listening to “almost lover” and more early two thousand pop songs, murmuring «nothing.» flatly when her dad asks what’s wrong.

 

-

 

laura spends nearly a month moping on her three-months-crush moving not only to a different school, but an entirely different city, but eventually she gets distracted by, in order:

 

  1. betty and elsie dating («surprise!» «it’s not that much of a surprise, actually… do you have to do that in front of me?» «shut up, hollis.»);

  2. getting a nine in chemistry for what is possibly the first and last time in her life («how did you do that?» «i actually have no idea dad, like, trust me.» «i knew all that praying would pay off eventually.» «dad!»);

  3. getting a place in the school paper;

  4. that one essay that she manages to turn completely into an angry rant about amy pond’s treatment in doctor who («laura, i think this is a bit - » «i asked you to read it, not to comment on it, betty.»);

  5. her class finally managing to convince the teacher to organise a trip outside austria (and even if looking at churches in sicily turns out to be quite boring, she can stuff herself with cannolis so it's great anyway).




 

by the end of the year, millarca is completely forgotten, and her name only whispered late at night when all the things she fucked up in her life come back to haunt her.

 

-

 

(forgotten, that is, until four years later her dad gets a promotion and they have to move town and on her first day of her fifth year millarca is sitting in her classroom, and gives her the same, unchanged, unapproachable, unadulterated hint of a smile.

 

laura feels a chill in her spine and stiffly sits down next to her.

 

«hi, i’m carmilla.»

 

“ _i know you. you’re you_.”, she wants answer, but a choked «laura.» is what actually comes out. she licks her lips, suddenly dry.

 

«i know.» carmilla whispers, and she hopes she imagined that, but she also hopes she didn’t.).

 

she finally drowns.

 

-

 

«you’ll never guess what happened today!» she shrieks when her best friend finally appears on the screen, pixellated smile and messy hair. she’s quite sure the figure sprawled behind her is elsie and she mentally makes a note to send them those links on codependency she found online the other day.

 

«hi to you too, hollis.» betty says flatly, checking her nails.

 

«sorry. uhm, hey betty!»

 

betty raises an eyebrow (or maybe it’s just a misplaced pixel. she can’t really tell. she needs to invest on a better laptop but her dad is so afraid of the internet it’s a wonder she even has wifi).

 

«hi elsie!» she adds, and the wandering pixel goes back to its place.

 

«so, what happened today?»

 

«i met millarca.» she holds her breath.

 

«who?» elsie throws betty something. she emits an high squealed «stop that!» and laura is pretty sure she hears a whispered «make me.» as a reply and she really wishes she hadn’t.

 

«millarca? the girl i had a crush on for like, the whole of first year?»

 

«millarca. yeah, of course.» betty squeaks. laura rolls her eyes and both elsie and betty erupt in a fit of giggles.

 

«you got better things to do?»

 

«yeah, me.»

 

« _elsie_!» betty says, but she’s laughing. «sorry.»

 

«don’t worry.» she sighs. «so you don’t remember millarca? smoked in the bathrooms? made you have asthma attacks?»

 

«betty. she means murky millarca.»

 

«oh. oh. well, tiny gay hollis, this is your chance.»

 

«you know i don’t like being called that and also the problem is that she hasn’t changed - »

 

«yeah. i’m gonna have to call you back.» betty interrupts her and her voice is slightly different and. oh my god. laura flushes. «bye!» elsie says, and the screen goes black.

 

«she hasn’t changed in over four years.»

 

-

 

laura spends the following two weeks observing carmilla, from the way she lazily plops herself down on her chair (last row, left column because she’s apparently unwilling of using anything but the wall as her backrest and it kinda makes laura uneasy because it means carmilla is constantly facing her, looking at her with those hole-eyes) to the way she never pays attention (she stares at her in maths class, literature, in history, geography, psychics, - basically always except during philosophy), from the way she worries her bottom lip as she reads (she never leaves the class, but stays inside with her books as the other students flow outside in the halls and the backyard - the only change in her posture the booths thrown hazily on laura’s chair) to the ghost smile she always reserves for laura as she sits down next to her (that, admittedly, makes her heart skip a beat a couple of times) (drown drown drown).

 

-

«hi. i’m perry.» the girl from the classroom opposite to hers says (v g, probably).

 

«hey.» she answers. «i’m laura, nice to meet you.»

 

«we know. laura hollis.» says the person next to perry. «i’m lafontaine. i use they pronouns.»

 

laura is not sure she understands fully, but nods gravely when perry shoots her a worried look. «i’ll remember.». they smile.

 

«why do you know my name?»

 

the duo exchanges a look. «you’re carmilla’s deskmate, aren’t you?»

 

laura nods again.

 

«carmilla has never had a someone sit next to her in five months that she’s been here.»

 

«oh.» she says after a couple of seconds of silence, because she’s really not sure what to do with this piece of information.

 

«do you happen to be an alien too?» lafontaine says, and quickly takes a lock of laura’s hair between their fingers.

 

«a what?»

 

«please don’t mind them.» perry squats lightly on lafontaine’s hand, and they let go of laura’s hair immediately. «they saw one too many x-files episodes.»

 

«how does no one else notice something is going on with carmilla?»

 

perry huffs and laura laughs nervously.

 

there is definitely something going on with carmilla.

 

-

 

«hey.» she greets carmilla as she sits down (she’s always the first to class, no matter how early laura takes the bus).

 

«hey.» she answers, and her voice is raspy and low and hoarse and all kinds of perfect and laura momentarily forgets to be surprised by the fact they’re actually talking because _wow her voice_.

 

she wants to say something more, but carmilla has focused again on her books, and the words get stuck in her chest.

 

class goes on as usual.

 

-

 

«hey.» she says again, and moves the packet of oreos she just bought from the vending machine towards carmilla, sliding it gently on the desk.

 

carmilla arches an eyebrow.

 

«what’s that?»

 

«you’re talking to me now.» laura says. «why did you never speak to me before?»

 

«uh, you haven’t exactly been talkative either, cupcake.»

 

laura rolls her eyes.

 

«you don’t remember me? and since we’re at it, why isn’t your name millarca anymore? why do you speak with a carinthia accent now - you used to a have a viennese one. why does the weird duo from v g think you’re an alien and why - »

 

«oi, hold on. i don’t know you and this millarca. i’ve never been in vienna. thank you for the oreos, anyway.»

 

she snatches the cookies from under laura’s hands, and raises her book abruptly to cover her own face.

 

«this isn’t over, carmilla.»

 

carmilla makes a clicking a sound with her tongue. laura has never been one to back down from a challenge.

 

-

 

«i think there’s something up with carmilla.»

 

perry looks at her with an actual, literal plea in her eyes. lafontaine’s eyes start shining and they grab laura’s hand in theirs.

 

«i knew i could trust you, laura hollis.»

 

-

 

the next week goes like this (lafontaine suggests her to document all of it) (laura likes documenting):

 

  1. monday: she offers another packet of oreos. carmilla only takes one, and doesn’t fully finish it. («why do you keep doing this?» «i want answers.» «you’re quite stubborn.» «might as well be my second name.»);

  2. tuesday: carmilla looks at her before taking any of the food. laura is excited (note: she seems to like chocolate chip cookies). («feeling more talkative today?» «is offering food your idea of interrogation?» «it’s making you speak.» «touché, creampuff.») (note: is that a smile? holy crap. that is a smile.);

  3. wednesday: lafontaine and perry stop by during break. carmilla glares at them until perry catches up and drags laf away by their sleeve. she chews her cookie extra loudly. («why were mulder and scully here?» «laf and perry? mrs lechner wants to do my oral test next week. she sent them to tell me.» «uhm.»);

  4. thursday: laura brings jaffa cakes. («these are very good.» «are they easing your tongue?» «wanna try it?») (note: _ohmygodohmygodohmygodoh my god_ ) («are you blushing?») (note: get a grip, hollis).

  5. friday: back to oreos. («do you have plans for this weekend?» «no.» «do you want to maybe hang out? we could talk and... stuff.») (note: she’s gorgeous when she chews on her pen and squints her eyes a bit and looks at you and lingers on your lips. you’re so gay hollis. you’re so gay.) («why not.»)




 

-

 

«betty?»

 

«uh?»

 

«please stop making out and turn on the camera.»

 

there are giggles, and shuffling of clothes and finally the camera turns on. betty has her “i’m betty” t-shirt on sideways, and elsie’s hair is terribly messy.

 

«hey, tiny gay.»

 

«tall bisexual. medium bisexual.» she greets them. betty laughs, while elsie scowls behind her.

 

«i have a date.» she blurts out before any of them can start turning this call into an amatorial porn video.

 

«you owe me ten bucks.» elsie says, kissing betty’s shoulder. she groans.

 

«couldn’t you wait one more week?»

 

«what?»

 

«we had a bet.»

 

« … what?»

 

«suppose it doesn’t matter anymore. go get her, tiger.»

 

-

 

they agree to meet in the park in front of laura’s house, because carmilla’s attempt to explain laura the bus routes just results in more confusion and carmilla pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration.

 

(it also results in carmilla leaning in close close close, and it’s worse than that time she applied her rose chapstick and laura couldn’t stop staring and now she’s so close she can count her eyelashes - carmilla laughs softly when laura can’t roll her rs properly and it tastes like cotton candy, oh god, how can something so tender come out the harsh lines of her lips?)

 

laura spends what’s left of maths class trying to figure out the angle of carmilla’s jaw.

 

-

 

each of her atoms buzzes with excitement when she sees carmilla. she flattens the imaginary creases in her dress and smiles brightly when carmilla slides next to her, sitting on the white bench that faces the small river that runs through town. it’s so quiet all she hears is the gentle burble of the river and her own heart beating wildly.

 

«hey!»

 

«hey.» carmilla replies, and then she actually smiles. she fishes through the pockets of her leather to get a packet of cigarettes and a lighter, and puts one in her mouth with her long fingers.

 

laura takes it and tosses it on the ground.

 

«ehy! why did you do that?»

 

«it’s bad for you and for the people around you.»

 

«i thought your friend was the asthmatic one.» carmilla whines, opening up her packet to get another killer-stick. «it used to drive her crazy.» she smirks, annoying and charming at the same time.

 

«yeah, but that doesn’t mean - you remember betty?»

 

«what? no.» carmilla suddenly gets up, placing hastily the unlit cigarette back in the packet, and inside her pocket. «you wanna go or what?»

 

«ok, this is getting really unnerving. i know you know me and you know i know that you do, so i don’t really see what’s the point in keeping up this absurd façade.» she gets up too, and grabs carmilla’s arm to force her to face her (her skin is surprisingly cold, but she only wears t shirts in _goddamn_ austria, so it’s her own damn fault) (it’s also surprisingly smooth) (holy crap she’s touching carmilla).

 

carmilla rolls her eyes, and tears her arm off laura’s grip. «i knew this was a mistake.» she sighs. «naive, provincial girl.»

 

laura is about to protest, but there’s something in carmilla’s eyes (they get softer and deeper and darker) that makes her lips feel glued together, and her throat hoarse.

 

«yet, there’s something about you.»

 

«maybe it’s my keen fashion sense.» she tries to joke but it’s hard when carmilla looks at her lips and just when did she get so close?

 

and then she’s leaning in her eyelashes flutter and wow. ok.

 

she puts her hand on carmilla’s mouth.

 

«you’re incredibly attractive and i’ve been crushing on you since i was fourteen but we’re not kissing until you tell me what your deal is.»

 

carmilla squints her eyes a bit and takes a deep sigh through her nose. she licks laura’s hand.

 

«ew! what are you, five? oh my god.» she takes her portable hand sanitizer from her bag and squeezes a generous amount on the offended hand.

 

«i’m 334 years old, actually. and a vampire.»

 

laura blinks. «what?»

 

«blood-sucking shape-shifting monsters? vampires?»

 

laura doesn’t answer. carmilla shakes her hand in front of her eyes.

 

«are you ok?»

 

«do you want to eat me?»

 

carmilla winks. «in a way.»

 

«oh my god. my first crush is a vampire.»

 

«you’re taking it surprisingly well.»

 

«gee, didn’t i tell you i’m a quarter banshee from my mother’s side? i must have forgotten.»

 

«wait, you don’t think i’m actually serious.» carmilla’s eyebrows furrow and her mouth twists in disbelief.

 

«what? it’s like, way better than lafontaine’s alien theory - the amount of star wars toys in their house, you wouldn’t believe it - and it would explain your not-aging. oh my god, this is totally why you’re always the first one in class, you don’t actually go home at night. that’s cheating, do you know that? some of us wake up at six am just to get an overcrowded, sweaty bus. maybe i should pull all-nighters too -  i mean, more all-nighters than i do at the moment.»

 

laura takes a deep breath. «i can’t believe vampires are real.»

 

«says the banshee.» carmilla’s lips turn upwards. «does this mean you’re a screamer?»

 

«how do you expect me to believe you’re three hundred years old if you keep making this kind of jokes?»

 

«are you serious?» carmilla groans, moving closer, sliding a cool hand on her waist, leaning in - _please be closer please be closer please be closer_.

 

laura thinks she feels warmth on carmilla’s lips, or maybe she’s just losing her own and carmilla is drinking it but it doesn’t matter because she’s a willing victim and she really wants carmilla to tear her skin apart and swallow every last drop of blood.

 

«my place?» you whisper on the skin of her neck and you feel her throat vibrate with laugh.

 

«are you sure you’re not a succubus?»

 

-

 

laura takes the cigarette from carmilla’s lips for the second time in a few hours, and smiles when carmilla gives her an eyeroll that’s way too fond to be taken seriously.

 

«put those cigarettes on the bedside table right now.»

 

«i can’t believe i’m being denied my post-coital smoking. it’s not like it’ll kill me.»

 

«no, but it might kill me and i’d rather survive so i can have my way with you again.»

 

«aren’t you afraid i might eat you?» carmilla asks, turning around to face her.

 

laura gives a noncommittal sound. «not really. you could have killed me hours ago. years, even.»

 

carmilla looks at her intently.

 

«what, are you going to kill me?»

 

«no. of course not.»

 

«well, then we’re good.» laura brushes carefully carmilla’s bangs away from her forehead.

 

«just like that? you’ll actually trust me?» she closes her eyes and leans into the touch.

 

«yep. wanna be the small spoon?»

 

carmilla looks at her like she lost her mind, but makes her way into laura’s arms anyway. she settles comfortably against laura’s chest (laura can feel her cold ear pressed against her heart and she tries to slow it down but she just can’t).

 

«i knew there was a reason i liked you.»

 

«you liked me?»

 

«well, yeah.»  

 

«really?»

 

«i winked at you once.» carmilla states matter-of-factly.

 

there’s a long moment of silence. then laura starts laughing. «you’re unbelievable.»

 

carmilla groans. «can we just sleep?»

 

laura doesn’t think she can calm down enough to sleep, just yet, but she nods anyway.

 

-

 

«holy shit hollis, is that a hickey?»

 

«it’s a long story.»

 

«it's totally a hickey! you owe me twenty bucks, elsie.»

  
«fuck’s sake.»

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for sticking with me!


End file.
